Fire-escape.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

I. BIHL- FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIOATION 'IILEYD NOV. 21, 1904.

UNITED, STATES Patented February 14, 1905.

IGNATZ BI HL, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,539, dated February14, 1905.

Application filed November 21, 1304. Serial No. 233,563.

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IGNATZ BIHL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Newport, in the county of Campbell and Stateof Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fire-escapes, andparticularly in'that class of such devices which are constructed in theform of flexible laddersadapted to be, attached at a window or thelikeand lowered along the outside of the building to form a means fordescent of persons from the upper floors thereof; and the object of theinvention is to provide a device of this general character of a simpleand inexpensive nature and of a light and strong construction whichshall be capable of being compactly rolled or folded, so as to occupy aslittle space as possible when not in use.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved fireescape whereby certain important advantages are attained and the deviceis made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and moreconvenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a partial section taken through the wall of a building andshowing a fire-escape constructed ac cording to my invention attached ata window-sill and lowered along the outsideof the building in positionfor use. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary face view of the improved fire-es-'cape. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing detached one of the couplingmembers by means of which the rungs of the device are connected with theflexible side portions or stiles. Fig. A is an enlarged sectional viewtaken transversely through the coupling member and showing the serratedprojections thereon for engagement with the end of a rung. Fig. 5 is avertical section taken lengthwise through a modified form of theconnecting member.

As shown in the views, the improved fireescape is provided with flexibleside portions or stiles 1 1, which are preferably formed from woventapes or webbings of suitable strength and the upper ends of whichstiles or side por -tions I provide with hook-like attaching mem,

downwardly-extended hooks 8, which are;

adapted for engagement under the window sill or ledge commonly present,as indicated at m in Fig, 1. In Figs. 1 and2 I have shown an integralconnection 3 between the lower ends of the tapes or webbings 1 1, and onsaid connection 3 is held a ring 4, which after the fire-escape has beenattached at the windowsill, as indicated at w, and has been loweredalong the outside ,of the building may be grasped by a person at theground-level or may be slipped over a projection in order that thedevice may beheld from swaying, sothat the descent of persons will befacilitated.

At intervals along the flexible stiles or side portions 1 1 are arrangedconnecting members 5 5, which serve to hold to said stiles or sideportions 1 1 the extremities of the rungs 6 6, which are extendedtransversely between the stiles after the fashion of the rungs of anordinary ladder. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the members 5 are made in theform of metallic slides having flattened front portions 9, at oppositesides of which are rearWardly-extended flanges 10 10. The upper part ofthe front Wall 9 of each slide'or member 5 is pro-- vided withtransverse slots 11 and 12, spaced apart and adapted for the passage ofone of the tapes or webbings, said tape or webbing being first passedthrough theslot 11 from the front to the rear face of the part 9-andbein'g afterward passed through the lower slot 12 from the rear tothefront face of the slide, after which said tape or webbing is formedinto a loop or bight 13, which extends around the front surface of oneextremity of a rung 6, a slotted opening 15,,below the opening 16,serving for the passage of said tape or webbing through the part f theslide or member to the inner side thereof after the loop 13 has beenproduced.

16 indicates a series of serrations or teeth integral upon the frontwall 9 of the slide or member above the slotted openingl5 and inposition for engagement in the rear surface of the extremity of the rung6, which is held within the loop 13, as above described, so that therung is held against endwise movement,

Below the shelf or bracket 14 the front wall 9 of the slide or member5is provided with a plurality of slotted openings 17, through which thetape or webbing 1 is adapted to be threaded after passage through theslotted opening 15, so as to afford a secure means for preventingtheslide or member from slipping upon the tape or webbing.

In order to hold the flexible ladder construct ed as above described ata distance away from the wall of the building suflicient to permit aperson descending to readily step upon the several rungs, I provide eachmember or slide 5 with aspacing device which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3,is formed of a wire of suitable strength, the ends of which are passedthrough openings in the opposite flanges of the slide or member, asshown at 18, to aflordpivotal connection of the spacing device with theslide. From its pivotal extremities the two arms or side portions of thespacing device are carried upward, as shown at 19, parallel with thefront wall 9 of the slide, and above said upwardly-extended portions 9said arms are bent rearwardly at right angles from the front wall of theslide, as indicated at 20, the central portion of the wire of which thespacing device is formed being bent to form a tiepiece 21, transverselyextended between said arms 20 and adapted to receive the lower end of anoperating-tape 22, the upper end of which is stitched or otherwisesecured to the tape or webbing 1 above the slide or merriber 5.

When the improved fire-escape constructed as above described is notrequired for use, it may be compactly rolled or folded, so as to occupycomparatively little space, the pivotally-mounted spacing devices uponthe several members 5 being capable of being folded downward along therear faces of the members when the connections 22 and tapes or webbings1 are relaxed. When the device is required for use, the hooks 8 willbe'engaged with a window-sill or other suitable projec tion, so as tosecurely hold the upper end of the device, after which the flexibleladder is lowered from the window, and as the tapes or webbings 1 1 fallto a vertical position the connections 22 of the spacing devices will bedrawn upon to automatically swing said spacing devices rearwardly inposition for engagement with the wall of the building to hold the l 'perparts. bar 27, over which is passed the looped central portion of theoperating-tape 28, said tape rod extended transversely between theflanges 10, and 24 indicates the movable part of the spacing device, therear end of which is supported, as seen at 25, upon the lower ends oflinks 26, pivoted to the flange 10 at their up- The part 2 has a forwardcrossbeing passed downwardly around the pin 23 and thence upward, asindicated at 29, for connectionwith the tape or webbing 1 above theslide 5. In this construction when the device is not in use theconnection 28 will be relaxed to permit the part 24 to be folded flushagainst the rear side of the member 5; but when the device is in use thestrain exerted by the tapes or webbings l 1 upon the connections 28 willserve to move the parts 24 to horizontal positions, as shown in Fig. 5,in which position said parts will engage the wall and hold the ladderspaced away from the same.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved fire-escapeconstructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple andinexpensive nature and is especially well adapted for use, and it willalso be obvious from the above description that the device is capableof' considerable modification without material departure from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, and for this reasonI do not wishto be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangementof the several parts of the device herein set forth in carrying out myinvention in practice. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. v A device of the character described comprising flexible stiles,slides having openings through which the stiles are passed to produceloops, serrations on the slides between the openings and within saidloops and rungs having end portions held within the loop and with whichsaid serrations are engaged.

2. A device of the character described comprising flexible stiles,slides having at their upper ends openings through which the stiles arepassed to produce loops and having shoulders below said loops, and rungsextended between the stiles with end portions held in said loops andrested on said projections, the lower ends of the slides having parallelopenings through which the flexible stiles are threaded.

to hold the slides against movement.

3. A device of the character described comprising flexible stiles,slideshaving front plates provided with openings through which the stiles arepassed to produce loops, said slides the spacing device. In this view 23indicates a ITO being also provided with flanges extended along theiropposite sides, rungs extended between the stiles with end portions heldin said loops and spacing devices comprising parts pivotally held to theflanges of the slides and having connections attached to the stiles forholding said parts in operative position,

the said parts being also adapted to be swung pivotally into foldedposition flush upon the slides.

4. A device of the character'described comprising flexible stiles,slides having projections and rungs extended between the stiles with endportions adapted to be rested above the projections on said slides, eachof the slides a being provided with a plurality of openings both belowand above said projection, through which openings one of the stiles ispassed to hold the slide against movernent along the stile and toproduce a loop Within which one end 7 ,in said loops and devices carriedby the slides and engaged with the end portions of the rungs to hold thesame within the loops.

S1gned at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 16th day of November, 1904;

IGNATZ BIHL.

Witnesses:

SIMON BIHL,. JOHN ELIAS JONES.

